Dental instrument.



S. D. RUGGLES.

DENTAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLxoATIoN-HLED SEPT. 2z, 1911.

1,033,942. mmm sul; 3Q. 'ma

ssrn

STEWART D. RUGGLES, OF PORTSMOUTH, OHIO.

DENTAL INSTRUMENT.

To au 'whom t 'may concern:

Be it known that I, STEWART D. RUGeLns, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Portsmouth, Scioto county, State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Dental Instrument; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inventiona attention being called to the drawing which accompanies this application and forms a part thereof. v This invention concerns devices used in dental practicel and it relates more particularly to aninstrument intended for use in operative dental surgery. In its specific use it is intended to serve as a means to hold and to manipulate work such as articial teeth, crowns, bridge-work, devices used in orthodontia while being' placed in, vposition within the patients mouth, etc.

The leading point of the invention is a construction which permits the particular object which is to be manipulated to be firmlyheld. while the work` is readily carried out in any-partv of the mouth without obstructing the -view of the operator.

In. the following specification and part-icularly pointed out in the claims at the end' thereof, will be found a full description of my invention, together with its manner of use, parts and construction, which latter is also illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which zv Figure 1, shows in perspective view, the instrument and the manner in which it is held. Fig-2, shows a side-elevationofthe instrument while the same is used fory placinv an object in position within the patients mouth, which object 40Fig. 3, shows a 4 width of these Shanks,

c might be a tooth-crown. top-view of the implement as it appears in the preceding figure.

The object to be manipulated is held between two jaws each consisting of. a concave or spoon-shaped part A, .the edge of which terminates in a number of prongs a, preferably three. These jaws a're each car ried at the end of a shank B, of which they referably form an integral part. The in the plane .of the jaws, is gradually increased to present sutiicientsurface as shown at C, to form handleparts to permit the implement to be firmly held. These handle-portions are roughened on their outer sideby closely spaced corrugations as shown at c. Beyond these handle-portions the thickness of these sha Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 22, 1911.

work within st-ructing his view Patented July 3o, i912.

Serial N o. 650,719. f-

is reduced as shown at b. These Shanks are rigidly connected at their extreme ends, these being also the ends'of the reduced portions b, a spacing plate D being placed between these ends. This connection may be in any suitable manner, as by rivets, soldering or brazing.

The shanks are of steel and their connection is so that in the normal condition the jaws stand apart, as shown in Fig. 1. The

A reduced part b of each shank forms a spring to permit them` to yield when pressed toward each other, to cause the jaws to close upon the work and to permit the same to be firmly gripped as shown in Fig. 3. A pin d on one shank adapted to occupy an opening opposite it in the other shank serves to preserve the alinement of the jaws when they approach. each other in consequence of action on the Shanks.

The shanks between the jaws and the point of their connection to each other are substantially1 straight are compressed, the size of the instrument transversely. considered, is not any larger than the distance between the outer sides of the jaws.` Nor does any part of the jaws project above the upper edge of the shanks when the instrument is held in position for operation (see Fig. 2,) which is due to the fact that the Lipper prong in each jaw is so that, when the jaws formed in line with the upper edge of its.

respective shank formed below this edge.

the operator may .freely manipulate his the mouth without interference from any part thereof and without obof the work by any part of the instrument back of the jaws.

Having described my invention, I claim as new:

1. Ina dental' instrument, the combination of two substantially straight shankS, each lhaving a gripping jaw at one end which isspoon-shaped and has a pronged edge, a "portion reduced in thickness at the other end serving as a spring die-portions between these ends, a spacing plate between the outer ends of the reduced portions of the shanks and means toconnect the shanks at these ends with this spacing plate between them.

2. In a dental instrument, two oppositely arranged straight Shanks, each shank hav- As a consequence nks ing one of its edges continued substantially and the jaw proper is and flat hanj straight and formed into a prong and adeach other so as to preserve the alinement ditlonal prongs provided contiguous to the' e of the j'aws opposite each other. 10 first prong `and forming therewith a grip- In testimony whereof, I hereuntoafix my ping jaw one of the Shanks having an insignature in the presence of two witnesses. wax-diy projecting pin between its ends and STEWART D. RUGGLES.

the other shank `having an opening located VV'Jlesses:v

opposite this pin and adapted to be occu- EMMA V. WHITE,

pied thereby when the Shanks approach MERLE O. DUDUIT. 

